The Train Terminal
by BleedingMountains
Summary: What does it mean to fall in love? To say goodbye? Short one-shot


**Authors note: No copyright intended. No characters, places, etc… are mine, or ever will be mine. All parts of Harry potter belong to Rowling. Please feel free to review, whether you liked this or not. One-shot. Thanks for reading. Sorry if this note shows up twice, as it's the first time i have uploaded a story.**

I walked with him to the train terminal. We chatted together, and I once again fought the feeling that had been rising in me every day since a night, many years ago. Sometimes the bitter tang of regret was so strong it almost knocked me to my knees. But I couldn't have helped it, I told myself over and over again. There was no way out now. He smiled and laughed with our daughter, and I looked away to scan the family's that had come to send their children to Hogwarts. I glimpsed a few old school friends with happy, bouncing children at their knees. Then my eyes caught his. I felt something stir inside me, which I had not felt for many years. I was not looking into the eyes of my husband and father of my children. These eyes were steel blue, and they cut me to the core. All I could remember was the night he fixed those same steel eyes on me and said goodbye.

_flashback_

"Hermione, please…"

"Forget it Draco, you have hurt me too many times. I can never trust you enough."

Hermione shook herself from his gaze, and ran from the library to her dorm. This was the first time she had spoken to him without them throwing spiteful words and hexes at each other. And to think that he had the nerve to ask for her forgiveness, as if the last the last seven year hadn't happened. She went to sleep fuming, and cursing Draco Malfoy.

* * *

She was sneaking out again. Although being head girl gave her the freedom of her own room, there were often many people roaming the castle when she left at night. She skimmed the wall in the southeast corridor, and thought about how many times she had done this before.

* * *

He had been persistent, that's for sure. After his initial apology, he had followed her to her door each night, and was there when she left it in the morning. Thankfully, classes kept him away for most of the day, and he left her side as soon as he caught sight of any of her friends. Unfortunately, this also meant that the only time she saw him was when she was alone. At first, she had been furious. She screamed at him to leave her alone, and slammed the door in his face. But this did not faze him. He seemed to be determined, and kept up the routine with passion, begging her to listen to him, and calling her name as she walked away. Every day, without fail, he was waiting for her.

Apparently, this did something to her. She felt something inside when she was near him, a feeling of being wanted; being desired. Ron had never made her feel like this. With him, it was always 'just the way it should be' or something. Although he loved her, it was not a passionate, wanting kind of love. It was more of a friendship, with a bit of snogging in between. And that was fine, she told herself. That was just the way she wanted it. She didn't need passion and fire, leave that to the romance novels. Ron gave her stability and comfort, and that was all she needed to get through life.

She pushed away the feelings of wanting more, and ignored Malfoy.

* * *

She was happy. Here in his arms, it seemed as if nothing could touch her. She was free. It had taken exactly two months for her to allow him to speak to her. She had waited patiently as he told her his story, and begged her not to hate him. It took exactly a month after that to meet him at night in the restricted part of the library as he had asked, and forgive him. After that, they had created a friendship. It didn't last long. Away from the watchful eyes of her friends and teachers, in the middle of the night with him, she felt real. She did not forget how he had hurt him, but each night, as she looked into the blue of his eyes, she felt as if the world were hers. The friendship grew quickly, until it was a feeling much stronger than that. She had never before thought that she was capable of falling in love.

* * *

Exactly twelve hours after he had first kissed her, she broke up with Ron. She told him it was because she wanted to concentrate on her studies, and that she still loved him. This seemed to suit him, and she promised that after Hogwarts, they would marry. She could not stand the guilt of cheating on Ron, but she would not give up the man who made her feel like the most incredible thing that he had every laid eyes upon. Not yet, anyway. Deep in her heart, she knew it could not last. The world would never accept it. But for now, she chose to be happy, and put off the heartbreak for later.

The kiss had been hesitant, his eyes asking her a silent question of trust. Unlike Ron, who kissed her as if out of reflex, Draco kissed her with a liquid fire that burned her throat, and sent sensations swirling in her stomach. Yes, she would have to leave this eventually, but for now she was content to simply live. And so she did, until the school year was over, and they said goodbye.

* * *

They did not speak, but as he moved down to kiss her gently, he whispered in her ear. "I will always love you. You will flow through my dreams in silk, and trespass on my every thought. I will never forget this." He turned around, and walked away, looking back only once.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ end flashback

In an instant, the moment was gone, and the train was leaving. We looked away at the same time, and I kissed my son goodbye. My eyes wandered back to the place he had been standing, but he was gone. I told Ron to wait for me in the car, and after a reassurance that I only had to visit the loo, he took the younger children and left. I ran to where the man I still loved had been standing only a moment before. In his place was a slip of paper that had almost escaped my eye. I picked it up, and gently unfolded it. It read simply; I will always love you. You flow through my dreams in silk, and trespass on my every thought. I will never forget what we had. I fought with tears, and looked around once more, but he was gone. I slipped the note into my jacket, and then I left.

_THE END _


End file.
